


Kids in the Manor

by Doctor_Discord



Series: The Ego Manor [88]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Babysitting, Chase is a Worried Dad, Cookies, Crafts, Cute Kids, Glitter, His Kids are Angels, Let Chase Have His Kids, Lots of glitter, Nostalgia, Pregnancy, Pure, secret rooms, weird pets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-06-24 21:08:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19731820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doctor_Discord/pseuds/Doctor_Discord
Summary: Chase needs an emergency babysitter and the egos (most of them) are happy to provide! Cue some adorable antics, and a couple of secrets being revealed!





	1. Chapter 1

Bing nearly jumped out of his skin when ‘Mad World’ began blasting over his speakers, his body vibrating. “ _What the ****?!_ I _really_ need to adjust that volume – Yo, what’s up, Chase?”

_“Bing, I have an emergency.”_

Bing straightened, concern making his core hum a new pitch. “What, what’s up, what’s wrong?”

 _“Nothing with_ me _, but there was a stunt accident and one of my crew got hurt, so I have to go to the hospital but – Bing, my_ kids _are here.”_

Bing froze. “Hold up, are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

Chase’s voice took on a pleading tone. _“_ Please _Bing, no one’s home here except Robbie and Anti! Don’t get me wrong, I love my brothers, but Anti is…_ Anti _, and Robbie is mentally the same age as my five-year-old. I don’t trust anyone else to take care of them, and I am_ not _giving them back to Stacy, not yet.”_

Bing stood, Chase’s blatant distress bleeding through to himself. “Whoa, calm down, Chase, of course we will, we’ll take care of them! Just drop them off, they’ll be fine.”

Chase breathed an immense sigh of relief. _“Thank you.”_

Bing smiled. “Hey, no problem. See you soon, man.”

Chase hung up, and Bing raced out of his room, jumping up the stairs two at a time. He burst into Dark’s office, throwing open the doors and Dark let out a surprised noise, dropping his pen. Bing gave an awkward smile. “Hi. Can you…call a meeting? I have a thing I need to discuss.”

Dark narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but complied, and five minutes later saw the fourteen of them gathered in the meeting room. Ed closed the door behind him, moving to sit in his spot between Eric and Bing. “Dark, what the fuck are we doin’ here? I was in the middle of somethin’.”

Reynolds scoffed. “Probably watching porn.”

Dark shrugged as Eric fought to hold Ed back from diving across the table, simply raising an eyebrow at their antics. “I have no idea why we’re here. It was Bing who called it.”

All eyes shifted to Bing, and he clapped his hands once, grinning wide in an attempt to hide his nerves. “Right. Okay, so, the thing is, Chase called me and he needs someone to look after his kids for the day.”

Bim’s eyes bugged out of his head, and he leaned forward in order to shoot him a questioning stare. “Kids. _Here_. Are you _insane?!_ ”

“I wouldn’t mind,” Silver piped up. “Kids are fun to hang around. Jackie and I do it all the time, for a variety of reasons. I’ve hung out with Chase’s kids specifically before as well, and they’re pretty well-behaved.”

“I second that,” King said. “Besides, it’s not _permanent_ , Bim. It’s just the day, right?”

At Bing’s confirming nod, Dr. Iplier shrugged. “We can handle two kids for a day. There’s so many of us, they won’t be bored, that’s for sure.”

The Host frowned, moving to hold Dr. Iplier’s hand. “The Host is a bit…apprehensive. He is unsure how children would take to him. He is well-aware his appearance is quite…disturbing, to say the least.”

Bing’s forced grin softened into something more genuine. “They love Robbie, and he’s literally falling apart. You’ll be fine.”

“Some of the more… _violent_ of us may have to remain in the shadows.” Google accentuated his statement with a pointed look in Wilford’s direction.

Wilford pouted, dismissing the knife he’d been toying with with a wave of his hand. “Hey! I’m actually decent with kids! They love me, for some reason. And I’m not _that_ far gone that I’d stab a small child!” Google simply hummed, unimpressed and unconvinced.

Bing turned to Dark, suddenly shy and hesitant. “Dark…? What do _you_ think?”

Dark sighed, his red and blue outline rippling. “It’s been…about 113 years since children were last in this house.” The others didn’t have time to process that before Dark smiled softly. “Sure. Let’s have a couple of kids over for the day.”

Bing clapped his hands again, beaming. “Great! ‘Cause I already said yes!”

Bim blanched. “Wait, you did _what?_ ”

And then the doorbell rang.

Bing scrambled out of the meeting room, skidding to halt in front of the front door and throwing it open. Chase was standing on the doorstep, bouncing nervously and holding his kids’ hands. His head whipped to face him when he opened the door, and he visibly sagged with relief. “Oh thank you thank you thank you! You’re a lifesaver!”

Bing laughed. “It’s no problem, dude. Seriously.” He tilted his head, lifting up his shades as he crouched down to the kids’ level. “Hey guys! You’re Serina, and you’re Trey, right?” He pointed to each of them in turn, and they nodded. Bing smiled. “Your dad talks about you all the time.”

Chase blushed, and Bing laughed again, shooting him another grin. Serina reached for him, gripping onto his nose with her tiny little five-year-old hand, her big blue eyes that looked so much like Chase’s wide with wonder. “Your eyes are pretty.”

Bing _beamed_ , letting out a small chuckle. “Thank you!” He straightened, gently taking their hands from Chase. He winked at the Septic, who’s expression still contained hints of worry. “Don’t worry, Chase. We’ll take care of them.”

“I know, I know.” Despite his words, Chase still wrung his hands nervously. “That being said…don’t let them have too much sugar, or any, if possible, they both exhibit signs of inheriting ADD from me, so they’re pretty difficult to handle once sugar’s been added to the mix. Trey’ll be happy to play any tamer video games you guys have with you, that’ll keep him entertained for a solid couple hours. Serina likes quieter stuff, so if you happen to have any arts and crafts or something –”

“ _Chase_.” Bing let go of Trey’s hand just to place it on Chase’s shoulder, cutting off his parental rant. “We’ve got this. Go take care of your crew.” He smiled. “If it makes you feel better, I’ll send you updates. Okay?”

Chase nodded, drawing a slow breath in order to calm himself before crouching down. He pulled his kids into a tight hug, kissing their foreheads before pulling back, smiling at them. “Be good, alright? I’ll be back soon.” He ruffled Trey’s hair and tapped Serina on the nose – making her giggle – before standing again. “Okay, okay, I…I’m off. Text me later, Bing.”

Bing saluted him, grinning broadly, and Chase snorted. “Will do!”

Chase turned away, heading toward his car, and after the fourth glance back over his shoulder Bing rolled his eyes and closed the door. He took Trey and Serina’s hands again, leading them toward the living area. “Guys, the kids are here!”

Silver poked his head out from around the corner, dressed in his full costume – a rare sight to see at home nowadays. He grinned at the sight of the two kids, and they in turn gasped. Trey broke free of Bing’s hold first, racing toward him with Serina following her brother’s lead. The seven-year-old boy bounced excitedly. “Whoa, are you really the Silver Shepherd?”

Silver laughed, ruffling Trey’s hair and looking more at ease than he had in _months_. “Sure am!”

“You work with Uncle Jackie, right?” Serina beamed up at him, reaching for his hand, and Silver gladly gave it, visibly melting at the words ‘Uncle Jackie’.

“Yep I do! Jackie’s my closest friend.”

Trey tugged on his cape. “Can you fly, too?” At Silver’s nod, he beckoned for him to crouch down, and he whispered loudly in Silver’s ear. “Don’t tell Daddy, but Uncle Jackie sometimes takes us out flying.”

Silver gave an exaggerated gasp before smiling. “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.” He leaned in closer, whispering just as loudly back. “Do you want to go on a flight around the manor real quick?”

When both kids nodded enthusiastically, Silver laughed, shooting Bing an amused look before taking their hands. “Come on! This way!”

Bing stiffened as they headed toward the back door. “Wait – hold on – I swear to _God_ , Silver, if you drop them –”

Silver glanced over his shoulder, pouting at him. “How dare you doubt me. I’ll be careful. Besides, I’ve done this before.” He grinned. “Where do you think Jackie got the idea?”

Bing blinked in surprise, not quite comprehending that _Silver_ gave _Jackie_ the idea of taking small children on what was more than likely a dangerous activity, and by the time he did, Silver and the kids were gone. He could hear their whoops of laughter outside, though, and he raced to the backyard, sprinting out the door and glancing up. He couldn’t help but smile, placing his hands on his hips.

Silver was hovering not too far off the ground, about ten feet or so, and circling the backyard at a fairly decent pace. He was completely horizontal, Serina lying across his back and fisting his cape in her tiny hands while Trey was dangling by his wrists – which were gripped tightly by Silver – and laughing loudly, kicking his legs out. Serina was practically squealing with delight, and Silver looked _ecstatic_ as he circled the backyard.

Oh yeah, today was going to be _interesting_.


	2. Chapter 2

Bim walked toward the kitchen, intent on grabbing a snack before holing back up in his room and working on his magic (he was absolutely _not_ avoiding the kids that now prowled the halls) but he stopped dead when he spotted Eric, Google, and Dr. Iplier sitting at the table with the female child – Serina? – and absolutely _covered_ in glitter. “Uhhh…what happened here?”

Eric glanced up from – was that an _arts and crafts_ project? – and beamed at him, eyes lighting up with a child-like excitement. “Bim!” He stood, showering glitter all over the floor, and pulled Bim into the chair next to him. “Come on! Bing printed out a bunch of little wooden animals for us to paint and decorate from his 3D printer. See?”

Eric lifted up the little creature he was currently working on – a small dragon, not yet completely painted a bright green with red specks for eyes. Bim blinked. “Uh, yeah, I can see that, but…why?”

“Serina wanted to.” Google shot him a mildly distressed look, mindlessly fiddling with his immaculately painted wooden shark. “I don’t know when I was roped into this but I have glitter in my inner workings and probably some paint as well. Run, Bim. Run while you still can.”

Dr. Iplier snorted, painting some sort of bird white while Serina giggled, working on what looked like a monkey. Dr. Iplier gave him a look, smirking slightly. “You should join us! This is actually quite fun!”

Eric offered him one of the unpainted creatures, a unicorn, but Bim gently pushed his hand away. “No, no thanks, I’d rather not get paint on my suit. I’ll hang out though.” Eric pouted at him, Serina joining him, and Bim glared first at _his_ kid and then the _actual_ kid. “No. No, absolutely not, stop it! You’re not getting me into this, too!” Eric’s kicked puppy look just increased, and Bim had to consciously keep from swearing out loud. So, spitting curses under his breath – far too quiet and far too rapid for the child to hear – he took the unicorn from Eric and reached for the purple paint, trying to ignore the way Eric clapped happily in order to avoid smiling and consequently breaking his grumpy façade. He cleared his throat, glancing up at the others. “So uh…where’s the other one?”

Google gave him an odd look. “You didn’t see them? He’s in the living area, playing video games with the Jims.”

As if on cue, there was the sound of an explosion echoed from the living room, followed by an autotuned voice announcing _“WINNER!”_ and the Jims’ unmistakable, unison shriek and a child’s laughter. Bim scratched the back of his head, raising an eyebrow as he glanced back toward the living area. “Huh. How did I miss that?”

His attention was drawn back to the table by Serina waving at him. Bim shot a wide-eyed look around the table when she beckoned him to come over. “Come here.”

Bim stood slowly, setting down his half-painted unicorn and following the child’s wishes. He stopped when she held up a hand, and immediately she began giggling. Eric was snickering, too. “What, what’s happening, what?!”

Google simply rolled his eyes, still playing with his shark, but Dr. Iplier gave him the courtesy of replying. “You’re standing in a patch of sunlight. Your hair is glittering.”

Bim glanced up on reflex. “Oh.” He looked back to Serina, who was now staring at his hair with undisguised delight. A tiny small broke through as he ran a hand through his hair. “What, you like my hair?” When she nodded, he crouched down for her, trying his best not to make a face when her paint-covered hands gripped at his hair.

He stiffened when she said, “More sparkles!” He couldn’t move away, not with one of her hands still in his hair, and was completely helpless to her dumping an _entire_ container of purple craft glitter in his hair. And _then_ she let him go.

Bim stood, staggering back a bit with arms spread. He glanced down, drawing his mouth in a tight line when he spotted the purple glitter now covering his suit at well. “Okay, alright, this is a thing now.” He shook his head like a dog, sending glitter _flying_ , and Serina laughed, batting at it with her hands. Dr. Iplier choked on his own laughter when Peggy came shooting out from beneath the table, leaping into the air in the most ungraceful display Bim has ever seen.

Bim laughed, moving toward the pantry. “Oh Dark’s gonna kill us – Who wants a cookie? I should still have some left.”

There was a deafening shout of “ _COOKIES!_ ” from the living area, and seconds later Trey and the Jims were charging into the kitchen. CJ wiped out on the glitter coating the floor, and an odd noise – something like a mix between a distressed whine and a snort of laughter – escaped RJ as he helped him back up.

Bim rolled his eyes affectionately, pulling down the container of cinnamon cookies still left over from Dark and Wilford’s wedding. He raised an eyebrow when Serina frowned. “Daddy says we’re not allowed to have sugar.”

A spark appeared in Bim’s eyes as he grinned. “I don’t see your dad anywhere, do you?” Serina grinned back, shaking her head enthusiastically.

The second Bim pulled off the lid of the container, Dr. Iplier began muttering under his breath. “And in three…two…one…”

As if on cue, the Host came skidding around the corner with a bright grin on his face, facing Bim’s general direction. The other egos immediately burst into laughter, and the Host tilted his head, grin fading. “What? What did the Host do?”

]Dr. Iplier stood, still giggling to himself as he linked arms with Host and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Nothing, it’s just – for a man who can see the future, you are _adorably_ predictable, my dear.”

The Host pouted, but he jumped when Trey gasped. “You’re the Storyteller!”

The Host looked stunned, seemingly unaware that the visiting children were in the room. “… _What?_ ”

“Daddy said you were _really good_ at making up stories!” Serina bounced in place. “Can you tell us one?”

The Host’s mouth fell open, self-consciously picking at his bandages. His head swiveled to face Dr. Iplier before turning back to the kids. “Of course. But first, Trey and Serina must give the Host time to think of one.”

“Okay!” Content with that answer, they both turned back to Bim, who was still holding the container of cookies.

“Oh, right.” He passed one to each of them – and the Jims – before tossing one towards the Host. He caught it with ease, immediately beginning to nibble on it with a light blush, something that noticeably got darker when Dr. Iplier kissed his cheek again. The Host spun around – revealing Peggy, who had at some point attached herself to the back of his leg – and hurried away, muttering under is breath about retreating to his library.

Bim placed the cookies back in the pantry, and he jumped, tensing, when he felt something grab his legs. He glanced down, arms held out awkwardly. Trey was hugging his legs tightly, smiling up at him with cookie crumbs covering his face. “Thank you!”

“Oh uh, you’re welcome.” Bim ruffled his hair, but Trey didn’t let go, just giggled and buried his face in Bim’s hip. Bim’s head shot up, glancing around at the other’s for help, but found none: Dr. Iplier and RJ were fussing over CJ from his fall (though he protested greatly), Eric was still painting his dragon, not quite paying attention, and Google just smirked, eyes flashing as he crossed his arms, watching with interest.

Sticking his tongue out at Google, Bim teleported away, reappearing in his seat next to Eric and making him jump. Both kids gasped, and Bim cringed. Trey’s voice was heard first. “You can _teleport?!_ That’s so cool!”

Serina piped up next. “Can you do magic like Uncle Marvin?”

Bim furrowed his brow. “Uncle Mar…” He snorted. “Oh that’s fantastic. Uh yeah, I’m pretty good friends with him, actually. He teaches me.”

Serina bounced in her seat. “Can you do a trick?”

Google scoffed. “Told you, you should’ve run.”

Bim shot him a scathing glare before waving his hand, silver glittering raining between his fingers while mini purple fireworks popped around his hand. Serina clapped happily. “Do another!”

Dr. Iplier patted him on the shoulder, leaning down to whisper in his ear. “Enjoy your new life, Bim.”

Bim’s eyes widened as Google stood up and joined Dr. Iplier, and the two began walking away, Jims in tow. “Hey – Wait – _Guys! Don’t leave me!_ ”

He turned back to the kids. Trey had joined his sister at the table, sitting next to her where Dr. Iplier had been. Even Eric was staring at him expectantly, eyes shining with the same delight the small kids’ did. He sighed.

_Great._


	3. Chapter 3

Wilford paced endlessly in King’s treehouse, anxiety eating him from the inside out. King himself was sitting at the table he’d dragged up there for Valentine’s Day and never got rid of. Bubblegum lay on the table before him, slightly bigger than usual and chattering quietly. Vita – Bubblegum’s mother – was sitting nearby, chattering back with small purrs.

King prodded at Bubblegum’s pregnant belly with careful fingers, massaging her gently and deep in concentration. But then Wilford began muttering under his breath, and he swore, spinning to face him. “Oh for fuck’s sake, Wilford, she’s going to be _fine!_ Stop pacing, you’re going to stress her out, and at the very least you’re stressing _me_ out!”

“I _can’t_ , though,” Wilford wailed, waving his arms in broad gesture. “What if she _dies_ in childbirth?! What if something’s wrong with the babies?! So many things can go _wrong!_ ”

King rolled his eyes. “Look, I get it, I understand where you’re coming from, but she is in perfect health. I’ve done this _millions_ of times before. If something _does_ go wrong – which is highly unlikely – I’ll be there to fix it. Plus, she has the support of her mother and dozens if not hundreds of other female squirrels who have _also_ done this before. She’ll be fine.”

Wilford opened his mouth to reply, but then Bim was suddenly appearing in the middle of the treehouse, startling the both of them. He looked like _Hell_ , paint in his hair, coated in _excessively_ more glitter than usual, and a defeated, tired look in his eyes. He split in a relieved grin, slumping a little, when he spotted King. “Oh good! You’re here!”

He vanished again, and Wilford and King had just enough time to exchange looks before he was back again, this time with Chase’s kids in tow. “Your turn now! I’m going to go take a shower and change. Have fun!”

And he was gone again.

King blinked owlishly as Serina wandered closer, standing on her tip-toes to peer onto the table. “What are you doing?”

King lifted her up, depositing her in his lap so she could see better. “This is his –” He pointed at Wilford. “– pet squirrel, Bubblegum. She’s going to have babies, so I’m trying to make her feel better and see if I can tell how many she’s going to have.”

“A pet squirrel?!” Trey darted over, looking up at King with pure wonder. “Do you think Daddy will let _us_ have a pet squirrel?”

King glanced at Wilford, an amused smile on his face. “I don’t know, you’ll have to ask him. But you’re welcome to play with mine.”

“How many do you _have_ , King?” Wilford raised an eyebrow from where he’d gravitated to the corner.

King gave an honest shrug. “I stopped counting after number one hundred showed up. Easily double that at this point, most likely more.” He gave a lopsided grin. “I have a very large colony going here.”

He glanced down again when he saw Serina reach for Bubblegum’s tail. “Can I pet her?”

King caught her wrist gently, guiding it away from Bubblegum. “Maybe not her, not right now. But her mother’s pretty friendly.”

He made an odd chittering noise, and Vita lifted her head, pausing in her work of nuzzling Bubblegum’s head. She wandered closer, flicking her tail and sniffing at Serina’s outstretched hand. She purred, butting her head against her hand. Serina’s eyes lit up, and she let out a delighted noise, petting Vita gently. Vita purred again, tail vibrating, and she settled down within Serina’s reach, curling up much like a cat would and closing her eyes.

Trey began bouncing on the balls of his feet, gripping onto the edge of the table. “Can I have a turn?”

King smiled. “I have a better idea.”

He placed his fingers in his mouth, giving a loud taxi-cab whistle, and within minutes several other squirrels came poking their heads through the windows, crawling inside and scaling up King’s body, sniffing curiously at the kids. King laughed, gently placing Serina back on the floor, and a couple of his grey squirrels moved to his lap instead, their tails vibrating as they purred and butted against him. “Yes, hello, how are you doing?” He scratched behind one of the squirrels’ ears, laughing again as it promptly melted in his lap, causing the other to scramble out of the way. Another squirrel – this one brown – crawled up his side, poking its head out in the small space between King’s cape and his neck, and King couldn’t help the small giggle as its furry little head tickled his throat.

“Okay, okay, guys, you’re gonna do me a favor, okay?” The squirrels covering his body – at least ten, including Vita still on the table – all paused, looking at him. King reached out with his admittedly _very_ weak and unpracticed aura, wrapping around them as King gave silent commands through it. He withdrew, and the squirrels scampered off of him, jumping onto the bed instead and staring expectantly at the kids. Serina and Trey’s eyes both flicked from the bed to King and back again, as if asking permission. King smiled softly, nodding his head in the squirrels’ direction. “Go on. They’re friendly. Just don’t pull on their tails.”

The kids’ hesitation vanished, and they raced toward the bed, clambering on and the squirrels instantly swarmed them, much to their obvious delight. King chuckled, turning back to Bubblegum. He raised an eyebrow when he noticed Vita still sitting by her. “Hey, you too. She’ll be fine.” He ran a couple fingers down Vita’s back, and she wrapped her tail around them briefly before darting off to join the others.

King moved to begin prodding at Bubblegum again, but instead he sighed heavily when he noticed Wilford hovering by his shoulder. “I swear to God – go play with the kids, Wilford. I’ve got this covered.”

Wilford’s jaw dropped in an indignant expression. “I will do no such thing! I am a married man, I’m not gonna go off in the corner!”

King’s tone and expression were equally flat when he spoke. “It’s either that or I call Dark to drag you out of here so you won’t even _be_ here to hover.” He raised an eyebrow, smirking a little as he turned his head slightly in Wilford’s direction. “Besides, weren’t you bragging earlier about how kids _love_ you?”

Wilford looked completely stunned, pouting. “But –”

“You’d be able to shove it in Google’s face that he was wrong.”

That seemed to convince Wilford, because he proceeded to spin on his heel and stalk toward the bed, his glittery aura beginning to shimmer behind him and three lollipops suddenly in his hand. King rolled his eyes, shaking his head and turning back to Bubblegum. She blinked at him, purring softly, and King smiled. “I know right,” he muttered. “Alright, where were we?”


	4. Chapter 4

Dark sighed, cracking his broken neck back into place with his hands clasped behind his back as he walked into the living area, aura trailing wispily and sluggishly after him. His ringing was more muted than usual, exhaustion creeping into his bones. He was…just gonna take a break. Yeah.

He sighed again as he sat on one of the loveseats, reaching for his book on the nearby end table. He jumped, hand jerking back to his side, when he noticed the two kids sitting on the floor and staring at him from the opposite side of the room. “Oh! Hello! I’m sorry, I…didn’t see you there.” He glanced around, brow furrowing when he couldn’t spot the presence of any of the other egos. “Where’s everybody else?”

The kids shrugged, Serina playing with what looked like several painted wooden animals while Trey was scribbling with crayons in a coloring book. Trey was the one who spoke, looking back down at his book. “Wil dropped us off here, then went to help Reynolds and Ed clean up the kitchen. Don’t know where they are now.”

Dark jolted back, surprised. “Did…did you say ‘Wil’?” When Trey nodded, Dark gave a disbelieving little smile, standing again and moving to sit with them on the floor. “You must be _very_ special if he let’s you call him that.” Trey beamed, scribbling with increased enthusiasm.

Dark glanced down when he felt something poke his hand. Serina poked him again, curiosity written all over her face. “Why’s your skin all grey?” She looked up at him. “Uncle Robbie’s skin is grey. Are you like Uncle Robbie?”

Dark’s eyebrows furrowed as he tilted his head to the side, thinking. “I…suppose I am, in a way, yes.” His ringing shifted pitch. “Does that scare you?”

Serina shook her head. “No.” She made a face. “You’re not gonna fall apart, are you? We’ve had to help put Uncle Robbie back together before. It’s gross.”

Dark chuckled, finding her bluntness and curiosity mildly amusing. “No, I’m not going to fall apart.” He picked up one of her little animals – a blue shark, perfectly painted and most likely _not_ done by Serina herself. Still, he asked, “Did you make these?”

She started to nod, then shook her head. “Not _all_ of them,” she stated. She pointed to the shark in his hand. “Google did that one. _This_ one’s mine!” She lifted up a wooden monkey, messily painted a mix between bright purple and an equally bright red. She deposited it in Dark’s other hand before lifting up a purple and white unicorn coated in silver glitter. “Bim did this one!”

Dark raised an eyebrow, setting the other two creatures down before taking the unicorn from her. “You got _Bim_ to join you? Special indeed.”

Serina giggled to herself as Dark handed her back the unicorn. He paused, his twin souls humming in his head, and he smiled, standing. “I have something to show you two.”

Consciously aware of two pairs of eyes on his back, Dark approached the bookshelf tucked into the far corner of the living area. He placed his hands on his hips, tongue poking out between his teeth, before his aura reached out and he began to slide it slowly to the right. Once he felt he’d moved it enough – just shy of nudging the TV – he glanced at the spot the bookshelf had been. He grinned, looking over his shoulder and gesturing for the two to come over.

Serina and Trey scrambled over, peeking around Dark’s legs. They gasped. Near the floor, behind where the bookshelf once stood, was a small door, barely three feet tall and just the perfect height for a child. Pushing the door open with his aura, Dark crouched down in front of it, gazing with pure fondness at the hidden room. Four sets of dusty sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows still lay on the floor. A few old trophies were scattered about as well, child’s drawings pinned to the walls, the paper yellow and old. Dusty old toys littered the floor, and along the back wall were quite a few aged notebooks. Untouched for over a century, and _exactly_ as it had been left.

Dark reached inside slowly, picking up one of the nearer trophies. One for the debate club, it looked like. He brushed the dust of the plaque with his thumb, fond smile growing when Damien’s name was visible once more. “When I –” He cleared his throat, voice cracking a little. “When I was a kid, this was where my friends and I would hang out and play. It was like our secret clubhouse.” He drew a shuddering breath. “Those notebook there – well, my friends’ parents, the one’s who owned this house, didn’t exactly know this room was here. We found it by accident. There used to be a couch where this bookshelf was, and I hid under that couch when we were playing hide and seek. Accidentally nudged the door with my foot. Those notebooks hold _years_ of silent conversation, and probably a few stupid, made-up stories as well. This was where we hid all of our prized possessions, and when one of us was upset, we could usually be found here as well.”

And odd look crossed Dark’s face as he set the trophy back down, sending up a cloud of dust. “It…hasn’t been touched in so long…” He straightened abruptly, turning to smile at Serina and Trey. “You’re welcome to play here, too, though. It’ll finally get some use at last. Just…don’t break anything, promise me that.”

The two nodded, inching closer slightly, and Dark snapped his fingers. Instantly the dust cleared, brightening up the appearance of the old, hidden room, and they both darted forward, sitting on the blankets and messing with the toys still scattered about, chatting excitedly to each other. After a brief moment of hesitation, Dark waved his hand again, and the stacks of notebooks appeared on the nearby loveseat.

Dark settled back onto the loveseat, keeping one ear trained on the children as picked up the top notebook, flipping it open. He began to relieve days long-since passed, his red and blue souls buzzing in something akin to sadness, but not quite. They were…content. Sad, but content, as Dark read the pages and pages of old conversations. He couldn’t help but laugh when he noticed a running theme. In hindsight, Celine really _did_ have Damien, Mark, and Wil completely wrapped around her finger, even at such a young age, didn’t she?

Dark sat there for a long time, reading through their old notebooks, until the kids grew bored and raced away, saying something about ‘the Storyteller’. Dark placed the notebooks back where they had been for the past century before closing the door and pushing the bookshelf back where it belonged, hiding it from the world once more. He rolled his shoulders, heading back up toward his office, rubbing at his temple with one hand.

Break over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _**Let Dark be soft** _


	5. Chapter 5

The sun was setting by the time the doorbell rang again. Bing opened it slowly, smiling when he spotted Chase on the doorstep, looking no less anxious and bouncy than he was that morning. “Hey man! Come on in!”

Chase obediently stepped inside, wringing his hands. Bing raised an eyebrow. “How’s your crew doing? Is the one that got hurt doing okay?”

Chase nodded. “Yeah, they’re good. She’s fine, relatively. She broke her leg, bruised a rib or two, but she’s okay. She’ll get out of the hospital tomorrow, wanna keep her overnight. But um…” He swallowed. “How are they? Serina and Trey? Were they good, they didn’t break anything, did they?”

Bing chuckled, leading him toward the living area. “See for yourself.”

They entered the living room, and Chase visibly melted, breathing a soft sigh of a relief, a small smile on his face. Serina, Trey, and the Host were all curled up together on the couch, the two kids wrapped up in his coat with the Host holding them close to his chest, and all three fast asleep. Trey made a small noise in his sleep, shifting closer, and the Host unconsciously buried his face in their hair in response, snoring lightly.

Bing placed his hands on his hips, tilting his head to the side with a soft smile on his own face, speaking in a low whisper. “They’re complete _angels_. They kept calling him ‘the Storyteller’, which I’m pretty sure made his entire life.”

Chase laughed quietly. “Yeah, that’s probably my fault. I gave them a quick rundown of each of you guys on the car ride over, and they kind of latched onto ‘storyteller’ and I’m pretty sure ignored every word I said after.”

Bing snorted. “They had fun, I know that much.” He rubbed the back of his head. “I’m honestly not sure who’s more exhausted by today, them or us. Most of the others are in their own rooms taking a nap, except Google, who’s going to be leaking glitter for a week, no matter how much he cleans himself out, and Dark, who I think is still doing paperwork upstairs.”

Chase winced. “Probably should’ve warned you about her affinity for glitter. Whoops. She didn’t dump a container on anyone, did she?”

Bing raised an eyebrow again. “The second she saw Bim’s hair it was all over for him.”

Chase smacked a palm to his forehead. “Oh great, I’m so sorry, I –”

Bing placed a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay, dude. We don’t mind. Well, Bim probably did, but he coats himself in so much glitter anyway he might not have noticed.” Chase stifled a laugh with his hand, and Bing chuckled. “In all serious, if you ever need an emergency babysitter again, we’d be happy to provide.”

Chase sighed, tension noticeably leaving his body. “Thank you. That means… _so much_ to me. Usually I end up giving them back to Stacy early when something pops up, and then she uses it as an excuse that I’m not responsible enough to take care of them and puts off my next visit even longer. It’s…not ideal.”

Bing frowned, voice softening as he gazed at the kids. “How much longer do you have them for?”

A noise that sounded suspiciously like a choked sob escaped Chase. “Two days.”

“And…when do you get them back?”

Another strangled noise. “Five months.”

Bing pulled his friend into a hug, squeezing him tightly. “God, I’m so sorry, Chase. You don’t deserve this. You love them, and they clearly love you, considering they talk about you almost as much as you talk about them. You’re a great dad.”

Chase winced again, returning his hug hesitantly. “Yeah, _they’re_ not the problem,” he muttered.

Bing pulled back, and Chase moved over to his kids. He paused. “I don’t want to wake the Host up, too…”

Bing snorted. “Trust me, the Host might as well be dead when he sleeps. The only thing that’ll wake him up right now is if Bim pulled out his cinnamon cookies. They’re like his kryptonite.”

Chase laughed, then gently shook his kids awake. Trey blinked awake first, grinning from ear-to-ear when he spotted Chase. “Daddy!” He wriggled free of the Host’s coat, throwing his arms around Chase, who grinned back with equal enthusiasm, holding his son close.

“Hey, buddy! How was it, did you have fun?” Chase beamed down at Trey, who nodded rapidly. Chase shifted his grip on him. “That’s great! Help me wake up your sister, and you can tell me all about the cool stuff you did in the car, okay?”

Trey nodded again, and he helped Chase gently wake Serina. She gasped when she saw him, nearly tumbling out of the Host’s grasp in her enthusiasm. “Daddy! You’re back!” She hugged his neck quickly before racing off to one of the armchairs, scooping up her armful of wooden creatures. “Daddy, Daddy, look what I made!”

She deposited them at his feet, and Chase gasped, letting Trey go for the moment to marvel them. “You made these?” He glanced at Bing, who simply shrugged.

“You said she liked arts and crafts, so I printed off a bunch of animals for her. I heard she got a whole crew of us to join her.”

Chase’s glowing face made Bing’s artificial heart melt as he turned back to his daughter, instantly singling out the monkey she had made. He held it up for her, fiddling with its legs so it looked like it was dancing midair. “You know, I think this one’s my favorite.” Serina laughed, and the look on Chase’s face made Bing feel like he was intruding on a very personal moment. “What do you say we get a bag for these and head home, okay?”

Serina nodded, yawning suddenly with Trey following suit. Bing went and got a plastic bag for them, and within no time Chase was standing with Serina resting on his hip, snuggling against his chest and the bag of creatures dangling from that hand with his other holding tight to one of Trey’s. He grinned at Bing again. “Thank you, seriously, I can’t thank you enough. You guys went above and beyond for me here.”

Bing gave an exaggerated bow. “It was our pleasure.” Trey giggled as Chase snorted. Bing raised his head, eyes flashing slightly. “Go enjoy your kids, Chase. They are absolute perfect angels, and you deserve as much time as you can get with them.”

Chase nodded, and Bing couldn’t help but notice his eyes misting up. “I will.”

Bing walked them to the door, watching Chase walk to his car. He had just finished buckling Serina in when Bing called out, “Yo Chase, I’ll see you at the skate park in a couple of days, yeah?”

Chase grinned. “Definitely!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys have _no idea_ how much I love this story, it is like, one of my go-to feel good stories I've written, I fucking _adore_ it. _**Let Chase have his kids dammit**_ I'm gonna update a few chapters of Ego Characterizations in a second, I think the ones I gotta do are 'Favorite Place in the Manor' and 'Nicknames'! And oh! Another Wing AU story already on Sunday! A dorky Dr. Iplierst one!


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